#DailyDevotion Jesus Explains What God Does To Save Mankind
Luke 18:31–34 31He took the twelve aside and said to them: “Look, we’re going up to Jerusalem, and everything the Prophets wrote about the Son of Man will be done: 32 He’ll be handed over to the non-Jews. They’ll mock and insult Him, spit on Him, 33whip Him and put Him to death. And on the third day He will rise.” 34But they understood none of this. It was a mystery to them, and they didn’t know what He meant.
These words of Jesus follow this account in this chapter: 25”’It’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to get into God’s kingdom.” 26Those who heard Him asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ 27′What men can’t do God can do,’ He answered.” You may be wondering why I bring this up. Well Jesus is explaining what it means “What men can’t do God can do.”
What is it that God is going to do that man can’t? Fulfill everything the prophet wrote about the Son of Man. Jesus, who is God incarnate, is going to be betrayed into the hands of the Gentiles, be mock, insulted, spit upon, whipped and put to death. Well a lot of people in Jesus’ time underwent this treatment by the Romans. What so special about Jesus undergoing it? None of those other people were God in the flesh. The LORD Jesus Christ in the flesh underwent this treatment. What he undergoes he undergoes as the LORD. This treatment Jesus receives is what you and I deserve for our sins.
So Isaiah says in ch. 52, “13Look! My Servant will succeed. He will rise, be lifted up, and be exalted very high…15So He will sprinkle many nations.” It speaks of Jesus’ crucifixion and how his blood would be sprinkled on us in baptism, cleansing us from our sins. In chapter 53 he writes, “4Surely He has taken on Himself our suffering and carried our sorrows, but we observed that God had stricken, smitten, and afflicted Him. 5And certainly He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our sins; By His punishment, we were saved and by His wounds we were healed.” Again he writes, “8After He was tried as a prisoner, He was then taken away. Who in His time even considered that He was cut off from the land of the living and struck down for His people’s sins? They assigned Him a grave with criminals and with a rich man in His death, though He hadn’t done any crime or said anything deceitful. 10Yet the LORD planned to crush Him and slay Him.” This is what God must do that men, even rich men must be saved.
Besides being God who undergoes these things Jesus says, “And on the third day He will rise.” Well this really set Jesus apart from all the others that underwent crucifixion, They didn’t rise from the dead. Isaiah foretold Jesus resurrection in Isaiah 53, “After He has sacrificed Himself for guilt, He will see those born to Him and will enjoy a long life.” His disciples didn’t understand at the but now they and we do. Jesus has what only God could do to save us. Thanks be to God.
Merciful Father, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to die for us and pay the penalty for our sin. Give us faith to believe this so we too may rise to eternal life and enter his kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.